Posted
by
Soulskill
on Wednesday April 22, 2015 @12:10PM
from the minimally-elegant-product-names dept.

MojoKid writes: Intel has officially announced the availability of their Compute Stick HDMI dongle, and has lifted the embargo on early tests with the device. The Compute Stick is essentially a fully-functional, low-power, Atom-based system with memory, storage, and an OS, crammed into a dongle about 10cm long. There will initially be two compute sticks made available: one running Windows (model STCK1A32WFC) and another running Ubuntu (model STCK1A8LFC). The Windows 8.1 version of the Compute Stick is packing an Intel Atom Z3735F processor, with a single-channel of 2GB of DDR3L-1333 RAM and 32GB of internal storage, though out of the box only 19.2GB is usable. The Ubuntu version of the Compute Stick has as a similar CPU, but is packing only 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. All sticks have USB and MicroSD expansion capability. It doesn't burn through any benchmarks, but for multi-media playback, basic computing tasks, web browsing, HD video, or remote access, the Compute Stick has enough muscle to get the job done, and it's cheap, too: $99 — $149.

Makes me wonder about the economics of producing these things. Apparently something related to the OS choices makes it worth Intel's while to develop separate models and the infrastructure to build each one, rather than just building the higher spec model and slapping either OS onto it.

It's things like this that hearken back to the glory days of the Evil Empire, and why people find it difficult to trust MS now.

Makes me wonder about the economics of producing these things. Apparently something related to the OS choices makes it worth Intel's while to develop separate models and the infrastructure to build each one, rather than just building the higher spec model and slapping either OS onto it.

It's things like this that hearken back to the glory days of the Evil Empire, and why people find it difficult to trust MS now.

Well, I can't speak for the Ubuntu one, but I have a Yoga 2 10" tablet with Windows 8 with nearly identical specs, only the Z3745 processor instead of this stick's Z3735. The difference in CPU is not significant.

2GB of RAM is not enough for web pages with endless scrolling, such as Tumblr, or bloated pages such as Vice.com. Chrome sucks up the RAM, and when there is none left, things aren't pretty. I use "The Great Suspender" addon which saves unused tabs to disk and frees up memory, but even that is

--You can turn endless scrolling off in your Preferences. Besides it's one of the stupidest ideas ever, once you scroll past something 99% of the time you'll never want to see it again (and if you do there's the "previous page" link, not to mention a lot of times the *same content* gets reposted by different followers) and it's uselessly taking up resources. 2GB of RAM should be _fine_ for web browsing, if people would only design their webpages a little smarter.

I'd bet: price. Once you pay the Windows tax, you might as well up the HW a bit at that pricepoint ($149), while the Linux version comes quite a bit cheaper ($89). There's a lot to be said for coming in under $100.

Prices according to the first duckduckgo hit, accepted blindly as true.

Probably true, and a commentary on the overhead required to run Windows. Even so, it would be nice to run Ubuntu on the other version without having to pay the "Microsoft tax" to get the upgraded hardware. A higher price is fair, but paying for a license you don't use is silly.

Everywhere I'm looking, the Windows stick is $150 and the Ubuntu is $110. I don't want to dig for more realistic numbers, but based on retail pricing for desktop/laptop level components we're looking at around $25. It wouldn't seem overly unreasonable to assume most/all of the price difference is due to hardware and little/nothing to do with MS.

My guess is the Microsoft tax is not in play here. Intel is most likely installing Windows 8.1 with Bing [howtogeek.com] which is free for low end hardware. Unless you consider the need for beefier hardware than Linux part of the tax that is.

This. I'm waiting on my Pipo X7 [pipo.com] to get here, but it's essentially the same hardware as an ICS plus a slightly faster CPU and 10/100 Ethernet. Literally the only thing I'm concerned about is whether it can play Netflix in the browser as opposed to using the Windows Store App Netflix app, because that's the difference between needing a MSLive account and not.

Oh, and W8.1 w/Bing may be "free", but it still needs a valid license key. The machine I bought supposedly has one.

I have one of these, they're kinda zippy and nice.
The only problem I had with mine was that it doesn't have any cooling whatsoever. So when it heats up it downclocks (See: http://freaktab.com/forum/tv-p... [freaktab.com])
Besides that it's quite a nice little unit:D

I guess if you want Ubuntu (or some other distro) on the beefier version of the stick, you can buy the windows one and replace it yourself. Assuming Windows on there is the free 'linux killer' version, you're not losing anything - except your time and effort. Maybe if Intel sees a market for beefier linux sticks it'll start selling them...

Then again, that assumes it's possible to replace the OS on these things. Anybody know?

The message found its way to Slashdot over the internet. That almost certainly involved multiple relays; for example, when I did a traceroute from my laptop to hardware.slashdot.org, it showed that my packets went through 15 nodes, divided almost evenly between comcast.net and savvis.net. Everything other than the end points is probably either running Linux or Cisco IOS.

Eventually the packets arrive at slashdot. Slashdot is a database-driven system, so everything you do here is probably being touched by mor

Or you can catch up with reality and realize that now days, I could do the entirety of DICE Holding's website portfolio with THAT ONE MACHINE, INCLUDING DATABASES AND WEBSERVERS, oh and for fun one of those nodes could go to just acting as a hardware firewall and router/switch.

I sure did look at it (and it made me laugh *even* harder, but that's beside the point).

I'm sure willing to believe that you "know better than me" how to deploy big monolithic number crunchers "globally for a living". Unfortunately for you, this was about networking. (It's a fairly new idea, you might not have heard of it yet).So I'd suggest you familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of networking, in order to avoid making yourself look like a complete idiot next time

For the last 24 years: LINUX ISN'T STUPID BLOATWARE! IT RUNS GREAT ON ANY HARDWARE!!!

Hardware maker in 2015: OK, you're right. Here ya go.

Fanboys: OMG!! CRIPPLED HARDWARE!!

It's still a valid complaint -- why give the Ubuntu device half the ram and 1/4 the storage? Even if Ubuntu *requires* less resources than Windows, the applications that people want to run may not. Chrome, in particular, seems to grow to consume all of my RAM whether I run it on my old 2GB laptop or my 16GB desktop. And the Windows device has 19GB of usable storage -- more than 3 times the total amount of storage on the Ubuntu stick, Ubuntu users store data too, especially on a device well suited to be a media player.

Chrome is DESIGNED to use lots of storage if you have it. That makes it faster, especially if you open multiple tabs or windows. But it will scale back its memory usage if you don't have it, by doing things like discarding the memory for tabs that you are not currently looking at. It is then slower to revisit those tabs because they have to be re-rendered, and in extreme cases reloaded from the server.

It's also $40 cheaper, which translates into a savings of > 25% of the device price.

You want Ubuntu on the "non-crippled" version? Good news: If you are willing to pay the additional $40, you ought to be able to install Ubuntu because the same hardware (minus some RAM/storage) has already been setup to run Ubuntu.

Is it the same hardware? This implies that it's not identical: The Ubuntu version of the Compute Stick has as a similar CPU -- if the CPU is different, how much of the rest of the chipset is different?

Don't be ridiculous. The *core* of Linux can run fine on anything, but to actually do something useful, you need more hardware. "Can run" and "can do what I need to do with it after it's booted" are two different things.

The people saying that Linux can run on anything are right. So are the people who are wishing that the Compute Stick would come with at least the same hardware as the Windows version. What if they want to do a little more than just browse the web? Linux definitely has the programs available

The other side of the Compute Stick is home to a security notch, a USB 2.0 port, a micro-USB / power port and the power button. Note that the micro-USB / power port CANNOT be used for connecting devices. That is the port where the included micro USB cable connects to provide power to the Compute Stick.

So it's purely for supplying power.

But, it's got Bluetooth, so you can get keyboards and mice easily enough.

Can run x86 binaries and uses Intel HD graphics, so no gfx driver issues. Roku or other ARM sticks can't run x86 binaries and you have to deal with their binary blob gfx drivers that generally don't play well with new kernels. ARM binaries are vary by core vintage and soft vs hard float. Then there is the variety of gpu cores: MALI, Vivante, PowerVR, Broadcom. By contrast Intel has open source options and Intel supplied binaries that get updated, especially because the desktop chips use the same gpu.

I tried upgrading my laptop, in theory it would have been great - in reality it's a pain in the ass because although the distribution I used was i586, it required PAE support (which is present in the CPU buy the ID bits don't say so) so I had to use a custom kernel, so now I can't upgrade it through the package manager.

Its hardware specs are modest, but the Compute Stick does have one item that might be useful -- slap VMWare or a hypervisor on it, and use it for a Web browsing VM, using App-V so that the browser appears seamless.

The advantage of doing things this way a hardware level of isolation. Should the browser (or add-ons) get compromised, the malware has to get out of the VM, and even then... the compromise is limited to a rather small amount of hardware so if there is some attack that is able to fry the CPU or mo

I do agree that it does add a non-trivial amount of load, but the purpose of it being there is for isolation (keep the malware away from the bare metal like the actual HDD firmware) and snapshot capabilities -- if the VM gets completely compromised, the entire thing can be rolled back fairly quickly. With 2GB of RAM [1], it can support some low-end OS partitions.

[1]: I've seen some low-end netbooks ship with Windows 8.1 and 2GB RAM, so even though it is a painfully low amount of RAM, I'm guessing someone

If that is the case, then using tiny VMs might just be a useful tool, as it might come in handy for honeypot research, or just for browsing the Web securely. Since a common (if not the most common) cause of compromise is the Web browser, might as well not just have logical separation (sandbox, VMs), but physical separation, so damage is limited. With multiple devices, it becomes a matter of hacking via remote if malware on one device obtained by general web browsing wanted to attack the compute stick hold

It has an USB2.0 port. That would do for Keyboard and mouse. Maybe. The thing would need to be able to access Keyboard and Mouse via a hub. That is often a problem. I think this device is basically intended as a streaming endpoint with remote administration. At least for Linux, that is perfectly painless.

Weird, the F and G appear the be the same, except the F has twice the memory bandwidth. It should be a little better than the G.There aren't many samples in those benchmarks though. The CPU does change its frequency based on thermal constraints though. Benchmark results can depend on the ambient temperature and thermal design of the product.

This is an out of the way device. Do you want to plug your tablet unto your TV and then yank it out whenever you want to take it somewhere? Do you want an old laptop or (god forbid) a desktop sculling around your TV rig/entertainment centre? Some people don't care, some do. You're probably looking at getting a wireless keyboard/mouse on this thing that you can chuck somewhere when you're not using it.

People are too fixated on the specs and 'I can get device X that will work perfectly well in the same capac

These HDMI sticks are meant for a certain thing, and replacing a tablet isn't one of them. But try taking any one of those cheap tablets and connect it neatly to your TV and let me know how that's working for you. I am betting none of them have HDMI out capability at that price point.

The point of these sticks are to be a media device, or a low power workstation/presentation device and to be relatively simple to integrate into a large display for both uses, which it is.

So for $110 it comes with a microhdmi cable that also leaves a USB port free, or do you need to also buy a hub and hope that doesn't cause interference with the video signal out? And what does that do for OTG function or are you just entirely SOL on that with the display plugged in? And of course how does one mount that neatly and out of sight to their TV/retail display for free? Duct tape or something a little more elegant?

It's also worth mentioning that this tablet has half the storage and half the mem

Oops, should have looked at all the pictures before commenting. I see the mini HDMI port on there so that's nice. Still half the RAM and storage though. And I've never heard of this company before so rather than taking a chance on some unknown, I would recommend you get an HP Stream 7" tablet:

Nice, but the average lifespan of electronics I've purchased in the past from DealExtreme makes me very leery. I'll spend the extra $40 less shipping on getting a part from a vendor with a solid reputation, thanks.

Well, your comrade just posted one at that price point that has half the memory and storage, so maybe a bit. Everyone still isn't getting the memo though. You don't buy a dongle for portablility and you don't buy a tablet to hook it up to a TV. They're two different devices with different use cases.

It's not really a useful general purpose computer that you can carry around unless the keyboard, mouse, required usb-hub, cables, and screen also fit in your pocket. Whenever you get to a location where all that stuff is present, then there is probably already a computer present (otherwise why would all that stuff be lying around?). Now compare with a good usb memory stick: you don't have to connect all those cables, and it has much more storage for the same price.

Tablets that run full-blown desktop Windows or Linux? At that price point, I'm assuming Android x86 tablets... prove me wrong with a link (please? If the damned things have at least 2gigs of RAM and run full Win8.1 I'll probably buy one right away, because my Win8.1 tablet is stupid huge at 11.6" - people look at me funny when I take it to the bathroom:p).

Also: this stick is ideal for people who don't want a full-blown HTPC in their living room, but also don't want to fuck around with "app-y" shit a la Chr

" I think you're missing the whole point of the tiny form-factor and what is it best suited for.'

Yea, portable devices. Not attached to a TV port in the back that is effectively blocked with so much fucking shielding that getting any sort of reasonable signal to it to control it is practically impossible...

It's specced way too low to really be useful as a general computing device, and the form factor is 'weird' to say the least. It's too big to really be called a stick, and too small to be able to pack a decent cpu. There's plenty of space behind the monitor for a somewhat larger device in a better form factor. The stick is a play toy that you will become disappointed with very quickly (think the old 'netbook' concept Intel tried to push a few years ago... that's what the stick feels like).

Honestly, the 'compute stick' makes zero sense for a TV-mounted device. It is far better to just go with a chrome cast stick or an AppleTV for airplay and using a pad or cell in your hand to control it if you want to throw a display up on the TV. Otherwise you will be fumbling around with a horrible remote or you have to throw together a bluetooth keyboard (etc...) and it just won't be a fun or convenient experience.

My recommendation... don't bother with this gadget. Instead, spend a bit more money and get an Intel NUC or Gigabyte BRIX (both based on Broadwell). And get at least the i5 version, the lack of turbo in the i3 version is telling. e.g. i5-5200 based box or better. It will cost significantly more than the stick, but it packs a decent cpu, can take up to 16GB of ram (2x204pin SO-DIMM DDR3), and depending on the model might even have room for a 2.5" SSD or HDD in it. The broadwell i5-5200U makes for quite a reasonable compact workstation and boxes based on it will be almost universally dual-headed. Of course, whatever floats your boat but I would definitely say that the lowest-priced Intel NUC or Gigabyte BRIX that is haswell-based or broadwell-based is still going to be an order of magnitude better than the compute stick.

I have one of the Gigabyte GB-BXi5H-5200's myself ('H' version fits a normal 2.5" SSD or HDD) and packed 16GB of ram into it. It is dual-headed so I can drive two displays with it and the box is small enough to mount on the back of a monitor if you so desire (it even includes a mounting plate and most monitors, such as LG monitors, are ready to take it). And if mounting it on the back of a TV doesn't make sense, mount it on the back of a monitor instead or just let it float behind the monitor. It's a small box, after all, it won't get in the way of anything. 4-thread (2-core), 2.2 GHz turbo to 2.7 GHz. Dual-head. Decent.

All the older haswell-based boxes have dropped in price significantly. They make decent boxes too as long as you are not compute-heavy. E.G. the 2957U is 2-core, no hypthreading, 1.4 GHz, no-turbo, and no AESNI (so https and other crypto is slow). Whereas even the Broadwell i3-5200U is 2-core/4-thread, 2.2 GHz with Turbo to 2.7 GHz, and has AESNI.

I have an Acer C720P chromebook running DragonFly (BSD) with the 2955U in it, which is very close to the 2957U. I would call it decent for its purpose and it c

This is the *mobile* i5, not the full blown desktop i5. It's basically the Broadwell successor to the Haswell 29xx series. 15W TDP or less. The BRIX runs 8W idle (not sleeping) and 20W at 100% cpu (all 4 threads full out). Intel is playing fast and loose with their naming schema for Broadwell.

1GB RAM equals fail. If you can slap Linux on the 2GB version of this stick then it's good. It's still around $70 to get a R-Pi with a case, power supply, and HDMI cable. That is substantially more expensive though, so if the Pi will serve your needs, so be it.

I think one of the main markets for this are store displays, trade shows or similar where it does indeed make sense to plug it into a large display, fire up a local media file and let it loop or run a simple interactive terminal for entering addresses and the like. For those kinds of tasks a Chromecast or Apple TV won't work and a NUC or Brix is both overkill and you also now have a little box that needs mounting whereas this thing just slots into an HDMI port and it's done.

Honestly, the 'compute stick' makes zero sense for a TV-mounted device. It is far better to just go with a chrome cast stick or an AppleTV for airplay and using a pad or cell in your hand to control it if you want to throw a display up on the TV. Otherwise you will be fumbling around with a horrible remote or you have to throw together a bluetooth keyboard (etc...) and it just won't be a fun or convenient experience.

I have such a stick on my TV, and it works great! It's *not* an ideal general computing device, but it is pretty much ideal for a Smart TV thingie.

As far as input devices, we use either a bluetooth Logitech keyboard/touchpad device, or a "flying mouse" remote. Both work rather well. If you haven't one, you should check out a "flying mouse" remote on Amazon for under $20 [amazon.com] and work by waving your hand. It's really easy and rather intuitive once you get past a 1 minute introduction. Oh, and it contains a full

I would love to see touch-screen TV's become more prevalent and cheaper. As soon as they do, I pair a touch-screen TV with one of these dongles, and I have a perfect display & presentation tool for business conference rooms and classrooms.

I am running a tech preview of 10 and it blows up to over 30 gig in a very short period of time without even downloading movies and the like. Unless 8.1 has disk space limits on install expect your customers to run out of room on the stick in a hurry. The Ubuntu users with less room most likely will not have these issues as they will be smart enough to use expansion cards for storage and Ubuntu does not blow up like a balloon with gobs of update rescue backups.

In the article, he advised using the extension cable and not plugging it directly in. The article is good, not by the vendor.
It even has a little fan inside that puts out a high-pitched annoying whine after longterm use.